Children's Literature Awards of Spring 08

Susan Laughs is a very cute book about a little girl and the things she does. The best part of this book is the surprise ending! Despite having little variation in the text, the book has a very strong and special message. It gives the idea that everyone is basically the same and can do the same things. The illustrations in the book do a fantastic job at conveying the message. Susan Laughs would be a great book for younger children to read because it has a lot of repetition.

I think you have read this one. It is such a great book. I love that it has the Spanish version and well and English. It gives a great insight into the boy's life.

Hi Carrie -- Could you expand on this comment? It should include a brief summary, three strengths or weaknesses, and a teacher response. Thank you -- Kirstin

Skippyjon Jones is the first in a series of books about a Siamese cat who thinks he is anything but! The cat's name is Skippyjon Jones. In this book, he goes into his closet and make believes he is in Mexico. When Skippyjon Jones gets to Mexico, he encounters many Chihuahuas whom he plays and sings with. This book has a lot of Spanish words and phrases and also features a lot of rhyming. The illustrations are fantastic and support this imaginative character very well. Skippyjon Jones has previously won the E.B. White Read Aloud Award; after reading the book, it is evident to see why. Overall, this is an extremely funny book and students will love it!

This is a great story of team work. When the little girl is feeling down, her animal friends help her build a great snowman. It makes her feel good about herself because she is told she is too small. It shows team work as they build the snowman. The snowman impresses everyone at the end.

This is a story about an 11 year old boy John Jacob Mickley. He and his father were in visiting Philadelphia during the Revolution. While they were there the Redcoats were invading. John and his father were lucky enough to be able to embark on a journey to hide the most precious symbol of freedom, the Liberty bell. This is a story of the journey hiding the Liberty Bell from the Redcoats. It is being told from Johns point of view to his brothers and sisters after he arrived home.

This story is about two best friends, Marilyn and Traci, and their fifth grade teacher, Miss Wichelman. The girls loved spending time with their teacher, in and out of school. The teacher always encouraged them to never give up. Her famous line is "If life hands you a lemons, make lemonade". Marilyn, Traci, and Miss Wichelman create a club called "The Lemonade Club", they become very close. In the story, one of the best friends becomes very ill. Patricia Polacco shows the reader the ups and downs of the process of healing and dealing with this illness. The Lemonade Club works through this hard time together. This book will teach the reader how to deal with life-threatening illness.

This is a story about a Swan who loves to dance, especially ballet. She struggles with the feeling of nervousness throughout the story. The big ballet is coming up and she is afraid to get on stage. Luckily she has a wonderful teacher that encourages her to push on. She keeps practicing, but she is still nervous. This book will teach a child that it is ok to feel nervous, but to never give up.

Myers' fun picture book about a junkyard dog turned celebrated blues musician works wonderfully as a book/cassette kit thanks to Charles Turner's spirited narration and Mark Dog" Deffenbaugh's bluesy guitar strumming. Turner's energetic narration keeps the story humming along. Deffenbaugh's guitar work pleases the ear, and his performance of 'The New York City Blues' is the program's highlight. This story about the joys of blues music has found a format that serves it very well. This story is very strong in showing how the arts can be very fun and that there is a wide range of different arts activities you can be involved in. From a teachers point of view, I think it might open children's eyes to want to give singing, dancing, or even acting a go. This book can found at Barnes&Nobles. Enjoy (;

Chrysanthemum loves her name, but when she goes to school, the other children giggle. "'Her name is so long, said Jo. 'It scarcely fits on her name tag,' said Rita, pointing." Poor Chrysanthemum; even though her father says her name is "precious and priceless and fascinating and winsome," how will she persuade the other children in her class? Perhaps Mrs. Twinkle can come to the rescue! From a teachers perspective, I think this would be a great story to read in the classroom because it shows children how to deal with their feelings and emotions appropriatly. I do have this book, so if you would like to look at it, let me know. Enjoy (;

Adam, who has dyslexia, is not alone when he looks for escape from the terrible task of learning to read. His difficulties cause change in behavior, frustration and a number of other problems. Parents and other adults sometimes do not know what to do, which can make the situation worse. It is not a matter of trying harder, but of having opportunities to participate in good activities. This book explains how children with dyslexia can get help once their disability is diagnosed. It is written in an easy to read format but is much like a what-to-do handbook. It is a good selection for children to read or have read to them. This book is available at Barnes&Noble. Enjoy (;

This adorable and very funny children's book is about a zebra and orangutan who loves underwear. They have a friend that is a buffalo, who is always in a bad mood. They challenge the buffalo to say the word underwear 10 times without laughing. Do you think he can do it? This book is perfect for little children, more so the younger, primary grades such ad K-3 grade. Its main strength is how funny it is and it gives children a break from their day to sit and listen to a very fun and silly story. From a teachers perspective, I think it would be great to read when you just need to step back from everything and take a deep breath. I own this book, so if you would like to look at it, just let me know. Enjoy (;

A beloved classic of children's literature, The Secret Garden, tells an inspirational tale of transformation and empowerment. Mary Lennox, a sickly and contrary little girl, is orphaned to dim prospects in a gloomy English manor - her only friend is a bed-ridden boy named Colin whose prospects may be dimmer than hers. But when Mary finds the key to a Secret Garden, the magical powers of transformation fall within her reach. This stories strength is that it givs great confidence to chidren with dissabilities and is a great portrayal of what a child with a special need goes through. From a teachers point of view, I think it would be a great choice of a chapter book to read because it can teach children a good deal of information. This book is available at Barnes&Noble. Enjoy (;

This book is a fun book with detailed and funny illustrations. The book is about the town of Chewandswallow where food is the precipitation! The kids in your classroom will love the story, love the pictures that show the funny precipitation, and love sharing it with other classmates and their families. This book is also a good starter to talking about the weather.

This book includes 15 different poems about city life. It includes colorful pictures, tons of metaphors, and beautiful poems. This book depicts what it's like to live in the city by describing it in full detail including all of the 5 senses. Kids will love the pictures and the descriptions. Excellent for showing what it's like to live in a city if you are in a very rural area.

This book showcases six extraordinary children with disabilities and shows that they are ordinary kids like everyone else. It helps other kids know that these kids have similar interests as them. This book is good for children with disabilities and without disabilities. It broadens kids ideas about different kids other than themselves. It's also informs the children about different types of disabilites.

This book is about a pig who is owned by a couple but they got divorced so each person got "half a pig". This humorous story tells what happens when Mr. Harbottle wants the other half of the pig and it starts a wild and crazy chase to keep the pig from being turned into sausage. This story has humor, excitement, and suspense that will give your students' plenty of laughs.

This book is about a litte tiger named Leo who couldn't read, or write, or do anything. His father is worried but his mother knows that Leo will blossom when he is ready. This book is good for a young child who feels like he or she can't do anything- read, write, and other things- and it helps them know that it's ok. They will eventually blossom and be able to read and write just as well as the other tigers. This would be great for young readers and writers just starting out and don't feel like they are getting it.

This book is about a boy who gets really angry after his mom keeps telling him "No". His anger takes over him, becoming like an angry dragon. He then starts to be sad and shameful and his tears put out the fire that his dragon created. This book showcases anger, it's effects, and how to get past it. An excellent book for a child who is dealing with issues of anger and rage.

This book is about a really scary fish named Al who couldn't make any friends because of how he looked. All the other fish were scared of him. He tried everything to get them to be his friend. One day, the other fish got caught in a net and Al got to be the hero and save them. This book highlights the topics of  making friends, getting along with classmates, and understanding one's feelings. This book would be beneficial to read if there is a conflict in your class between students because of differences.